


Heavenly Creatures

by Xelkyrien



Series: Heavenly Creatures [1]
Category: Cyborg 009
Genre: Advanced Technology, Brainwashing, Canonical Character Death, Cyborg Gods, Cyborgs, F/M, Gen, Identity Issues, Memory Alteration, Mind Manipulation, Mythos Arc, Name Changes, Other, References to Ancient Greek Religion & Lore, Team as Family, personality changes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-03
Updated: 2020-07-03
Packaged: 2021-03-05 05:34:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 12,440
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25029337
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Xelkyrien/pseuds/Xelkyrien
Summary: Set during episode 24 & 25. During Artemis and 009's seaside chat Artemis discovers that 009's condition is much worse than she thought and takes him back to the temple for medical treatment, unwittingly delivering him right into the hands of Doctor Gaia.
Relationships: 002 | Jet Link & 009 | Joe Shimamura, 009 | Joe Shimamura/Artemis (Cyborg 009) but not really, one sided 003 | Françoise Arnoul/009 | Joe Shimamura
Series: Heavenly Creatures [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1812529
Comments: 3
Kudos: 4





	1. Transcendence

**Author's Note:**

> This story is written based on the 2001 English Dub. Please keep that in mind when reading.  
> Some theories are in use here. See the notes at the end of Chapter 3 for them. They explain some things.

009 woke to a view of the full moon shining its gentle light down on the Earth, fast-moving clouds momentarily obscuring the resplendent sight as they made their journey through the sky. However, the lovely view confused him. His body ached all over and he could distinctly recall battling Apollo and falling into the ocean, so how had he ended up on the beach?

The young cyborg pushed himself up to a sitting position, his body heavily protesting the simple action. The injury at his side flared with renewed pain from his efforts, causing him to wince and instinctively wrap his arm around the area. When his hand contacted the spot what he found surprised him. Rather than the blood and sparking wires he had expected what was there were bandages, delicately applied over all of his wounds and keeping him from losing too much blood. The red-eyed teen stared down at the gauze, confusion written plainly across his face.

“Don’t get up too fast.” A feminine voice instructed from somewhere next to him. He looked in the direction the voice had come from, finding none other than Artemis sitting at the edge of a nearby cliff gazing out at the moonlight sparkling on the water. She spoke without looking at him, “I only did a temporary dressing.”

“You did…?” 009 asked, his mind still groggy from his previous lack of consciousness and the pain in his torso. He looked away from her, focusing his gaze on the ocean, “Thank you for that… but why save me?”

“I don’t know. Maybe I wasn’t done trying to bring you around.” The teal-haired girl mused. She paused momentarily, still not looking at him. When she continued her voice held a harsher tone, “To our point of view.”

“Huh?” the brunette questioned her, not quite understanding.

“Humans have been fighting since the dawn of time. They have killed each other over every conceivable issue, whether it be land, religion, greed, politics, jealousy or whatever; and instead of learning from the results each new generation starts the cycle all over again. They don’t pray to their gods for understanding or tolerance or compassion. They only pray for victory.” Artemis explained. Her eyes narrowed into a glare and her voice grew darker with her next words, “It’s a flaw in the makeup of human nature and it’s not going to change any time soon.”

009 stared at the young woman for a moment, taking in what she had just told him. His expression grew sorrowful and he looked away, sighing, “You may be right…”

This admission caught the attention of the violet-eyed girl, causing her to snap her gaze to him in surprise. She swiftly jumped down from her perch into the shallow waters in front of him that formed the blurred line between where the land ended and the ocean began. She leveled her glare at him and demanded, “Then why are you on the humans’ side? They gave you these powers for one reason: to be a weapon.”

“Don’t forget, we were all humans before we were made into cyborgs.” 009 reminded her as he tried to stand. His leg buckled under him as soon as he put his weight on it and he fell back onto the sand, his body still too weak to really move. Despite this, he was still determined to get through to the deluded girl, “And not all humans behave the way you’ve described.”

“Most do!” Artemis countered, taking a step forward and clutching her fists. The young man shook his head, returning with a counter point, “ _Most_ is not _all_. And you’re prepared to destroy all the humans for the misdeeds of some. It’s not a very god-like response.”

Artemis’s grip tightened around her bow, anger flaring in her veins, “Are you questioning our divine right to judge?!”

“It’s more than that! From what I’ve seen I’m questioning if you’re even a god!” 009 shot back, his voice carrying a slightly harsh tone, “All of you may just be humans that were turned into cyborgs.”

A look of surprised crossed Artemis’s face at that, but it was covered up by her glare just as quickly as it had come. It hadn’t escaped 009’s notice. He tried to sound a little more gentle as he continued, “When I see how aggressively Apollo and the others have reacted I can only conclude that they’re really humans. Either that, or humans are simply a reflection of character flaws passed on by the gods.”

Silence stretched between them for a few minutes as Artemis stared down at her reflection in the water below. She seemed lost and uncertain, his words working their way into her mind. Eventually she returned her gaze to 009, looking him directly in the eye with conviction.

“I know I’m a god. I have to be a god…” the teal-haired girl stated. She closed her eyes for a moment, her voice having lost some its confidence halfway through her statement. When she opened them again there was renewed determination on her face, “for the sake of my brother!”

“Are you _sure_ Apollo is your brother?” the teen cyborg questioned, narrowing his red eyes skeptically. The query made Artemis purse her lips in contemplation. She asked her own question in response to his, “How am I to an answer such a question? I have no proof we’re blood relations. We have no memory of our birth or childhood.”

009’s eyes widened at hearing her admission. He had had no idea so much of these people had been erased. However, before he had the chance to question her further Artemis declared, “You must leave this island as soon as possible. Or else, you will all be destroyed.”

The young woman swiftly jumped from where she stood in the ankle-deep sea water back up to the cliff edge she had been sitting on when he first woke on the beach. She looked over her shoulder at him and added, “No one else on this island will listen to your ravings. They would consider them blasphemy.”

“Don’t close your mind! You leave us no choice but to fight!” 009 called after her desperately. These people had been mistreated and used. The last thing he wanted to do was fight them again.

The young cyborg tried to get to his feet again to follow after the teal-haired girl. He got one leg under him and prepared to push off the ground with the other, but he only made it a couple inches before his legs gave out and he fell back onto his rear in the sand, wincing as pain shot through his body again.

“What’s wrong?” Artemis asked him. Her tone was demanding but he swore he could detect something like concern hidden just below the surface. When the pain had lessened enough for 009 to speak he answered with, “I-I don’t know. My body is still weak. I can’t seem to stand.”

The young woman stared at him, pursing her lips. It was clear from her expression that she was contemplating something, warring with herself about what to do next. Suddenly, she nodded once, her decision made, and jumped back down to the beach from the cliff. She moved over to the young cyborg, kneeling next to him and wrapping an arm around his back, under his arms. 009 gave her a look of confusion, though he didn’t have the strength to resist whatever the girl planned to do. She noticed his expression though and seemed to understand, explaining, “I will assist you, but only until either you are able to walk on your own or one of the other cyborgs arrives to claim you.”

At this, he nodded. 009 knew that what little strength he had left was quickly fading. He wanted to thank her, but he couldn’t seem to make his mouth move anymore. As it was, he barely managed to get his arm around her shoulders. Artemis was doing most of the work in hauling him to his feet.

As he was pulled to his feet, 009 cried out in pain. Agony tore through every inch of his being and his body soon began to convulse. He heard Artemis say something but he couldn’t decipher the words. It sounded like they were underwater.

The young cyborg’s thoughts began to slow and his eyelids fluttered, the world around him a blur of colors. He was having a difficult time just keeping his eyes open anymore. It was a battle he was fated to lose. Soon enough darkness enveloped him.

* * *

Artemis stared down in shock and concern at the unconscious teen in her arms. She had been planning on assisting him back to his friends. She hadn’t been expecting it when tremors began to wrack his body and she certainly hadn’t expected him to pass out. His condition must be far worse than she had thought.

The goddess was left not knowing what to do for the second time in as many minutes. On one hand, the boy was her enemy and a blasphemer. She could leave him laying here on the beach and he would likely succumb to his injures, resulting in one less cyborg to worry about having to fight. From a tactical point of view it was the best course of action to take.

On the other hand, Artemis didn’t want to let this young man die and she still believed that if they spent some time discussing things they could come to some sort of agreement. He truly did seem like a good person, though his beliefs about certain things were clearly in error. If she could just sway his opinions even a little they might not have to fight. Artemis didn’t want to fight. She was never very fond of violence. It just wasn’t in her nature.

The goddess sighed, knowing already what course of action her mind was set on and how her brother was likely to react. She adjust her hold on the cyborg teen, removing his limp arm from around her shoulders and sliding her free arm under his knees, picking the boy up bridal style like he weighed nothing at all. In a swift motion she turned and jumped up to the cliff she had been on earlier then proceeded to carry the unconscious cyborg back to the temple for medical aid.

* * *

Moments later a young man in a red uniform touched down on the beach, deactivating his jets as he landed. He has seen evidence of recent activity in the location and thought he might find who he was looking for there, having flown over the rest of the island only to come up empty handed. The first thing he did was investigate the obvious area where somebody had recently been laying near the water’s edge. From there he tried to find tracks in the sand that might indicate which direction the person went. He found none and instead ended up having to search the entire beach and nearby hiding spots. In his condition, the person he was trying to find wouldn’t have been able to go very far.

“002? Have you found 009?” the worried voice of 003 came through on Jet’s radio. The cyborg sighed, responding back to the entire team, “No. There’s no sign of him. I’m going to do another sweep of the island before I come back.”

002 didn’t wait for a reply before he took off again, making another flight around the island in a desperate search for his best friend.

* * *

The gods had gathered near the altar outside the temple where Achilles’ body lay to begin the celebration in honor of the fallen god. Hera, Poseidon, Atlas, Minotaur, Pan and Doctor Gaia were there but when he looked around Apollo couldn’t find Artemis. He put the question out to the others in the area, figuring that at least one of them would have the answer, “Where is Artemis?”

A few of the gods present looked around, as though only just realizing the young woman wasn’t with them while others stated that they didn’t know. Apollo frowned at this, not liking the idea of his sister’s location being unknown with the enemy so close by. With her misguided ideas about reasoning with the cyborgs she was liable to get herself captured by them.

“We must find Artemis before the festivities may begin.” Apollo announced and, with his cape billowing behind him, he made his way back into the temple. Hera, Minotaur, Pan and Gaia soon followed him. By the sound of splashing and heavy footsteps he knew Poseidon and Atlas had gone out to search as well.

The temple was a massive building with numerous levels. It took thirty minutes to locate the missing goddess, who had been in her room the entire time, and upon finding her Apollo didn’t know how to react. The initial relief he felt upon seeing her healthy and well was overshadowed by the anger and outrage at what he found her doing. The god of the sun shouted at his older sister, glowing in his rage, “Artemis, what are you doing?!”

The teal-haired girl looked up at her brother from where she was kneeling next to her bed, a goblet in her hands. On the bed lay an unconscious teenage boy in a red uniform, a large bandaged injury on his torso and another on his right arm. Apollo had thought the boy dead when he had fallen from the cliff in their earlier battle, but though severely wounded the fiery-haired youth could tell that the cyborg was still alive.

Apollo’s exclamation caught the attention of the other individuals searching the temple and they quickly arrived in Artemis’s doorway just in time to see Artemis give her brother a determined look and say, “I’m saving him, Apollo.”

From next to the sun god Doctor Gaia growled, “He’s your enemy!”

“Indeed!” the glowing deity agreed with the human without the need for any persuading, “Let the cyborg die, sister!”

“No!” Artemis replied, not wavering in the slightest. The moon goddess turned back to the injured teen on her bed and continued what she had been doing previously, pressing the goblet to the boy’s lips and tilting it so the thick golden liquid inside would enter his mouth, “He does not have to be our enemy. I have given him nectar. He will become one of us and then he will finally see that we are right. We will not have to fight.”

Apollo was about to object when Hera spoke, “He could be a valuable ally and if he is on our side that tips the balance of power even further in our favour.”

The woman’s statement filled the amber-eyed youth with even more rage. The very notion of working with one of these cyborgs was ludicrous. He turned to the woman, intent on putting her in her place, but from next to him another voice spoke up and said something which threw the god for a loop, “That’s an excellent idea. Why don’t you let me take care of the boy while you go to Achilles’ funeral?”

Apollo looked to the human next to him. Gaia had changed his mind in an instant and now had a grin spread across his face that couldn’t mean anything good.

 _‘Even unconscious and half dead this cyborg is turning my own people against me!’_ Apollo thought, his anger causing his glow to intensify. Inside the room the young goddess of the moon nodded and stood, moving over to the door where she locked eyes with her brother. They glared at one another, a palpable tension forming in the small space between them. It was Apollo that broke their gaze first, turning on his heel and stalking off down the corridor.

* * *

“He’s your enemy!” Doctor Gaia growled. How had one of his creations turned out so flawed? He had noticed it when she first woke after her transformation but thought the issue would work itself out over time. It hadn’t, and the past few days had put into perspective just how terrible the foolish girl’s flaws were. Creating Artemis had been a mistake.

“Indeed! Let the cyborg die, sister!” Apollo demanded from next to him. Now, _there_ was a cyborg. Apollo had his flaws as well, but they were so minor they were more of an inconvenience that real flaws. The youth could be over-confident and was far too attached to his “sister”, though recent events had put a serious strain on that relationship.

“No! He does not have to be our enemy. I have given him nectar. He will become one of us and then he will finally see that we are right. We will not have to fight.” Artemis said as she defied her brother’s orders.

Now there was an idea. What better way to get back at Gilmore and prove his superiority than to take one of the good Doctor’s own cyborgs and add him to his Mythos collection. The boy had been defeated by Apollo earlier that day. If he stripped away the cyborg’s troublesome humanity and amplified his abilities then used him to defeat his former team it would prove that he was right all along. Perhaps Artemis was useful for something after all.

It still wouldn’t be enough to save her though.

“He could be a valuable ally and if he is on our side that tips the balance of power even further in our favour.” Hera interjected, clearly thinking along the same line that Gaia had been. Though Apollo typically considered himself the leader it was Hera that was Gaia’s masterpiece. Her potent psychic abilities were unmatched and the persona he created for her had no flaws. She was a truly perfect cyborg.

A wicked grin spread across Gaia’s face as his plan solidified in his mind. He knew exactly how to alter the boy to do the most damage, and perhaps knock Apollo off his high horse as well. With that in mind he looked to Artemis and said, “That’s an excellent idea. Why don’t you let me take care of the boy while you go to Achilles’ funeral?”

As soon as the Mythos cyborgs left Gaia set to the task of getting 009 down to his laboratory. It wasn’t exactly as easy task since the teen was taller than him and filled full of metal but he managed, laying the boy on a table in the room where the other mythos cyborgs had been programmed. He stripped off the bandage Artemis had wrapped around the boy’s wounds and moved a device over the area that would repair them. While the teen’s injuries were being healed Gaia moved over to one of the computers in the room to access Black Ghost’s archive of files, searching for the young cyborg’s design specifications.

Reading through the information Gaia scrunched his nose in confusion. In 009’s fight with Apollo all he had used was his accelerator. It was the same for every other battle Black Ghost had record of. It had always been assumed that acceleration was the only ability the teen had, as he surely would have used his other powers to save himself if he possessed any.

Yet, according to his design notes and specifications Ross had included improved versions of the abilities held by many of the previous models in the 00 series of cyborgs. He could even produce flames, though the improved version of the power seemed to function more like Apollo’s than 006’s.

With these untapped powers in mind and the repairs completed Gaia returned to the boy on the table, taking a cable from the computer at the head of the metal slab and plugging it into the port on the back of the boy’s head just as it would have been when he was first programmed. The scientist began blocking access to the personality and memory files in the boy’s digitized mind and writing new ones.

After he finished creating the cyborg’s new personality he left it to install, returning to the gathering outside the temple. The Mythos cyborgs had gathered near the altar and were already drinking to their fallen teammate. Artemis stepped forward and reverently placed a white flower on the table that sat in front of the altar. Everybody was looking directly at her.

“So, big sister, we’ve decided to make an example of the cyborgs and eliminate them tomorrow morning.” Apollo stated with all of the authority he possessed while still trying to sound casual. After what had just happened Gaia couldn’t tell whether they had all agreed or if Apollo was simply using the royal form of “we”.

The bearded man watched Artemis for her reaction, seeing the shock that momentarily crossed her face before she schooled it into a more neutral expression and said, “Why is everyone in such a rush? In Achilles’ memory shouldn’t we wait-“

“I’ve had enough of these games! Artemis, why are you always on the side of the cyborgs!” Minotaur interrupted, his anger and frustration with the situation betrayed in his tone. Artemis attempted to protest, turning to look at the gathered gods, “I’m not on their side!”

“Then explain why you saved the injured cyborg who was underwater and transformed him into one of us. I know the tactical advantage wasn’t what you were considering.” Hera countered. With her psychic abilities she had likely read the teal-haired girl’s mind and already knew the answer.

“You seem to have more in common with them than you do with your own kind.” Poseidon chimed in, causing Artemis to actually flinch. The young woman gasped and doubled down on her denials, “Wrong! Apollo, I can explain!”

“I know what you’re going to say: You were entranced by his words.” Apollo answered for her, certain his version of events was the correct one. His tone held much less anger now that he was convinced his sister was simply tricked. The fiery-haired youth then turned from the girl to address the rest of the gathering, “That will solve that. You’ve been granted your pet cyborg. The rest must die. Once we dispose of these cyborgs your rebellious streak will end.”

“But that’s not what’s going on here! I have -” The moon goddess protested. The young woman’s words ignited the fires of rage within Apollo once more and he interrupted her, shouting over her as she tried to explain, “That’s enough! Don’t get me angrier than I am already! Remember the pride of the gods!”

Artemis’s expression became one of defeat as she watched her younger brother, his fists clenching and his body shaking with anger.

“Understood…” she sighed then turned toward her friends and commanded, “Atlas, Pan, now Apollo will lead you. Obey him.”

Gaia watched the girl’s theatrics as she walked away, casting her cape to the ground, ignoring Minotaur’s comment. It was about time he corrected his mistake.

He waited a few minutes before following after her, tailing her to the edge of a cliff where she sat on a broken pillar thinking aloud. As he got closer she noticed his presence, demanding, “What do _you_ want?”

“Good evening, Artemis.” The scientist greeted her in a dark tone. She either didn’t notice or didn’t care, stating, “Don’t waste your breath. I don’t plan on talking to Apollo ever again.”

“Actually, that works out quite well as far as I’m concerned. I made you a god, but your programming was flawed. You’ve been nothing but trouble. Now I have somebody to replace you, and I won’t make the same mistake twice.” Gaia informed her, a wicked grin spread across his face. The young goddess stood and turned to glare at him, not quite understanding what he meant and demanding, “Just what are you saying?”

“I have no further need for you.” The bearded man stated, pulling a ray gun from his jacket. He fired a single shot at the young woman before she could react, the laser striking her in the abdomen. Without a sound Artemis fell backward off the cliff and into the sea.


	2. Ares

002 begrudgingly returned to the Dolphin after flying around the island several times only to find no trace of his friend. It frustrated him to no end. He wanted to punch something, but settled for simply flying at a recklessly high speed instead. When he arrived he found 008 standing atop the ship with 009 nowhere in sight. Jet frowned, “I guess you didn’t find him either.”

008 shook his head, his expression grim. The two of them ventured inside and headed to the medical bay, figuring that everybody was likely there helping with 004’s repair. When the door opened all eyes turned to the two young men and seeing that the last member of their team wasn’t accompanying them the grim expression the two wore was reflected in the faces of everybody in the room.

They all knew what it likely meant. If they couldn’t find him or reach him over their radios, given 009’s condition when they last saw him, he was likely dead. It probably wouldn’t have been so bad if it had happened earlier. He was a stranger when they first escaped. They would have mourned him, yes, but they would have gotten over it. Now, after so long, all of them had become close. They were like a family, a dysfunctional one at times but a family none-the-less. Losing any of them would be devastating, but losing 009 was even more so. He was everybody’s little brother, or perhaps something else in 003’s case. Jet could never tell. The kid was caring and kind and courageous beyond words. It irritated 002 sometimes how 009 could always see good in everybody regardless of how evil they seemed, but it was also a quality he admired.

It was no secret that in his human life 002 was a delinquent, prone to criminal acts and violent confrontation. He grew up in a place where you learned to fight when you were young to survive and you had to be tough to get by because it was everybody for themselves. Because of that, when people saw him and the way he acted they tended to assume the worst. 009 hadn’t. He could see the good in Jet like he saw the good in everybody else. 009 didn’t get angry at him for the things he did or yell at him when he said something that may have sounded callous. He was understanding, and it honestly meant the world to Jet.

“What are we going to do now…?” 003 asked, voice filled with sorrow. It was a good question. Whether they wanted to or not they had to face the gods again tomorrow and 007 hadn’t come back yet. They may have to send out another search party if he didn’t return soon.

“I know this is difficult.” Doctor Gilmore answered the blonde ballerina, “009 was very dear to all of us, but I believe he would want us to do our best in the fight tomorrow to keep the world safe. And don’t forget, we don’t know for certain what’s happened to him. For all we know they could be holding him prisoner.”

002’s eyes widened a little at that. He hadn’t even considered that 009 may have been captured. Judging by the looks on the faces of the other cyborgs, neither had they. For as much as he was a little brother to them they all had a tendency of putting 009 on a pedestal. The idea that he may have been taken prisoner never seemed like a possibility. If he was a prisoner he was likely still alive. You can’t use a captive as a bargaining chip if they’re dead, after all.

“Well, if he’s their prisoner we’ll just have to save him.” Jet decided. The other cyborgs nodded in agreement. Captive was better than dead. If 009 were captured they stood a chance of getting him back. As strange as it seemed, the mood in the room brightened a little. That’s why, by the time 007 had returned nobody glared at him for his theatrics.

The med bay doors flew open with a swish, revealing the former actor standing there with a triumphant look on his face. The bald man strutted into the room saying, “Tada! I’m back from the temple of the gods.”

“You were gone so long we were afraid they offered you a godship or something.” 002 joked, something he wouldn’t have been able to do mere minutes ago. 007 waved his pointer finger in the air, stating, “That might not be as crazy as it sounds.”

This odd statement had everybody’s attention. They focused on 007, waiting on him to explain. He rested his chin on the space between his thumb and pointer finger, as though thinking hard about something, and continued, “There was this strange looking bloke at the temple that looked vaguely familiar.”

Doctor Gilmore seemed particularly interested in this news, a look of surprise on his face as he asked, “Can you describe what he looked like?”

“He was a little guy with a big black beard. Wait, here’s a clue.” 007 replied. He proceeded to transform, taking the shape of a shorter stocky man with a long black beard and a balding head. This form wore some type of shades and a white lab coat. Upon seeing him Gilmore stood up a little straighter saying, “I can’t believe it…”

“What? You mean you know who I am?” 007 asked, either surprised or taken aback. It was hard to tell with the face he currently wore and the voice he currently had. Gilmore narrowed his eyes, explaining, “His name’s Gaia and he was Black Ghost’s number one scientist. In the beginning he did theoretical research on cyborgs with me and we began applying and refining the technology, but he had a big ego and before too long we split up. He left the project to pursue his own vision of cyborg development. He believed that human characteristics had no place in the makeup of the perfect cyborg.”

“That explains it. He must have kept up his experiments.” 002 surmised, crossing his arms over his chest. If that’s what happened to these people Jet felt for them a little, though not nearly enough to excuse their actions. Moreover, 009 could be in the hands of that man. It made Jet sick to think about what Gaia might do to him.

“Oh, yeah. There was one other thing.” 007 interjected, transforming back into his default state, “I sensed there was a lot of energy coming from under that temple so I went down below the foundation and found this huge machine which appears to be their main power source.”

“Oh, really? That seems important.” Though Gilmore’s voice held no indication of it his expression said he was mildly irritated about 007 waiting to share that information.

 _‘It is.’_ The voice of 001 filled their minds. Everybody turned to see him awake, floating in his basket, _‘That’s what gives them the destructive force to attack and destroy whole cities. The world’s in great danger. These beings have the same psychic power as me and with that machine they can more than double their strength. That means they have the capability of destroying the entire planet. We have to neutralize that machine immediately.’_

“At least we know they’re cyborgs, not gods. That certainly levels the playing field.” 004 finally spoke up, testing the aim of his gun hand. 006 didn’t look so certain, “I suppose so.”

Doctor Gilmore sighed, “For now, all of you need to get some rest. You’ll need your strength for tomorrow.”

002 glanced around the room, truly looking at everybody there for the first time since arriving. They all looked just as tired as he felt and some of them still had scrapes and bruises from their previous fight with the cyborg gods. Gilmore was right. They did need to rest. Fortunately, they all seemed to realize that and began to filter out of the medical bay, heading towards their own rooms. 002 followed them out the door, leaving them to go to his room where he collapsed on his bed and promptly passed out, the stress of the day finally catching up to him.

* * *

“I believe the professor and I can destroy their power source. 007 and 008, you’ll come with us.” 001 instructed. It was morning again and the entire team, minus 009, had gathered on the bridge of the Dolphin to go over their attack plan. The two cyborgs named were preparing their weapons.

“I’ve got your back.” 008 stated, holstering his blaster while 007 laced his fingers behind his head saying, “I’m ready to rumble.”

At their affirmation 001 continued, “We’ll leave the frontlines to 002 and the others. They’ll be attacking with full force. I won’t lie to you. It’s going to be a difficult fight.”

“You trying to scare us? Heh, it’s a little late for that.” 004 joked. 002 just stood there, arms crossed over his chest. He didn’t care how difficult the fight would be. They’d been through plenty of difficult fights already. No, the red haired teen was focused on their missing friend. He knew he might die out there, but he was determined to bring 009 back no matter the cost.

It took him a moment to realize that everybody’s eyes were on him. Jet looked up, glancing at the faces around the room. After a few seconds he nodded, “Let’s do it.”

With the plan figured out everybody split up, the two teams making their way to their destinations. 002, 004, 005, 006 and 003 found their way onto the island and headed towards the temple, while 001, 007, 008 and Doctor Gilmore took the Dolphin to the underwater cave entrance to the temple’s secret rooms.

* * *

The Dolphin surfaced in the cave near the edge of the entrance to the temple. Immediately upon exiting the craft they heard a noise, turning to see Nereus, the hippo, clumsily running away from them.

“Ugh, hippo breathe again?” 007 complained. 001 stepped in, using his powers to render the beast unconscious, and the group continued towards the entrance. They stopped to examine Nereus, 008 questioning in disbelief, “This guy’s part of their team?”

“Must be.” 007 answered, shrugging, “The only power he seems to have is a big appetite.”

“Hmm. How puzzling. Why this? If you’re god why would you choose this form?” Doctor Gilmore wondered aloud, ignoring 007’s joke. He wanted to think on it further, but 001 interrupted with a warning, _‘Someone’s coming!’_

“I’m surprised you made it this far.” Hera scoffed, gliding down the stairs. 008 drew his gun and pointed it at her, prepared to fire should she make any move to attack. Hera didn’t seem fazed, her gaze zeroing in on 001. She gasped, “What? I thought you were a child but you’re just a baby!”

 _‘You are the psychic that energized Doctor Gaia’s amplified reactor, aren’t you?’_ 001 questioned, not missing a beat. Hera narrowed her eyes, demanding, a threat in her tone, “Do you dare to challenge me?!”

In answer 001 activated his powers, sending a wave of psychic energy towards Hera, tearing large rocks up from the ground in the process. Hera blocked the wave, activating her own psychic powers and causing rocks to erupt from the ground beneath the infant cyborg.

“001!” 008, called out. 001 didn’t look back at him as he answered, focusing his energy on blocking Hera’s attack, _‘Don’t worry. I’m alright. Take the professor and keep going. No matter what, destroy the energy reactor.’_

“No, wait-“ Gilmore pleaded, but 001 cut him off, _‘Get going! I can handle this!’_

Psychic energy crackled between the two cyborgs, rippling throughout the chamber and causing a colorful display of what looked like lightning. Neither was managing to force either back and the two truly did seem to be evenly matched in terms of raw power.

“Professor, there’s no time! We gotta move!” 008 said, having to shout to be heard over the wind howling through the room. This time the Doctor agreed, replying with, “And quickly.”

008, 007 and Gilmore turned from the battle and began to move towards the tunnel that led into the temple once again, only for the rocks on the ceiling to be broken apart by Hera’s power, falling towards them. Ivan caught them, giving the group the opportunity to escape. They ran and as soon as they were safely out of the way 001 let the rocks fall.

* * *

“Oh! Out of the way everyone!” 003 shouted to the group as they ran. It was the only warning they got before a laser blast hit the ground in front of them, forcing them all to jump out of the way. When they looked up they could just make out Apollo’s chariot in the sky above. The cyborg god of the sun pointed down at them, decreeing, “You shall not escape my wrath!”

Suddenly, behind them, lighting erupted from the ground and soon the place it was coming from began to break apart, Minotaur rising up from the dirt with a growl. Nearby, a pillar of water rose as well, before the gigantic figure of Poseidon cut through it. Heavy footsteps were soon felt shaking the island, heralding the arrival of Atlas. The enormous robot prepared two missiles and fired them at the 00 cyborgs.

“Scatter!” 006 shouted and the team did just that, each of them taking off in a different direction. 002 took to the air, taking 003 with him. He landed again and set her down. There were enemies surrounding the team on all sides, but they hadn’t moved in quite yet. Instead they seemed to be… waiting for something. But what?

002 quickly received his answer. The cyborg gods all turned their heads to look towards the temple and the 00 cyborgs did the same. What they saw elicited gasps of shock.

The familiar figure of a teenage boy with red eyes and short dark brown hair with bangs that covered one eye was walking towards them.

“009!” several of them cried out to him, happy to see their friend alive and well. 003 even smiled, joyful tears falling from her eyes, but Jet didn’t share in the jubilation. Something was wrong. He could feel it.

As the boy got closer joy turned into confusion upon seeing the way their teammate was dressed. Rather than the standard uniform they all wore he was clad in golden armor over a red tunic with a red cape billowing out behind him and dark sandals with straps that crisscrossed up to his knees. In one hand he held a spear and on his opposite forearm there was a circular golden shield emblazoned with the image of a snake.

The boy stopped just before reaching them, completing the circle of cyborgs surrounding the team and regarding them with an impassive expression. The look sent a shiver down Jet’s spine. There was none of 009’s usual compassion and caring in those dark eyes.

“009! What happened to you? Why are you dressed like that?” 003 asked the young cyborg, her voice wavering. It was clear that she had noticed the same thing 002 had, but still wanted to believe that their friend had come back to them.

“009?” the red-eyed teen scoffed. Though his voice was the same as it had always been his tone was now more like Apollo’s. He sneered at the cyborgs, “I am Ares, god of war.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is only one of several ideas I've had for Cyborg 009 fanfics between roleplaying and watching the show again.


	3. The Persistence of Memory

Pan whined, darting across the island. He had looked high and low for Artemis and hadn’t found any sign of her. He didn’t care what Hera said or what the others were doing. He was going to find the moon goddess. The goat child refused to abandon her and follow Apollo or Ares.

As he was arriving at the beach Pan’s hoof brushed against something, causing it to rattle. He looked down to see Artemis’s bow. The young boy picked up the goddess’s weapon and looked around for its owner. Certainly she had to be nearby. She would never leave her bow just lying around and it was even less likely that she would lose it.

Eventually, Pan’s eyes found the person he was looking for and he started. Artemis was in the shallow water at the edge of the beach, lying face down. The goat boy cried out and rushed towards her, dropping her bow in the process. He hurriedly turned her over and sat her up, staring at the unmoving girl with concern.

Out of the water the moon goddess began to stir. She soon sat up further on her own, hand clutched to the side of her abdomen. The girl opened her eyes and turned to look at the person that had saved her, finding the young child that typically accompanied her wherever she went.

“Pan…” Artemis sighed. Relief washed over the half goat at seeing her alive and he quickly jumped up and threw his arms around her in a hug. He drew away again when the girl winced in pain, giving her a look filled with worry. Suddenly, Artemis sat up straighter, a look of realization crossing her face as a memory came back to her, “Gaia! He shot me!”

Before the girl could say more the sound of an explosion rung out across the island. Artemis got to her feet swiftly and the two of them turned towards the source of the noise, seeing a plume of smoke rising up in the distance.

“We’re not really gods, just cyborgs.” The teal-haired girl thought aloud, staring at the black cloud, “I have to tell them the truth.”

* * *

“It certainly took you long enough to get here, Ares.” Apollo complained, firing a laser at one of the enemy cyborgs. With the arrival of the god of war there was significant confusion in the enemy ranks, which the gods had quickly taken advantage of. Each of them had focused on an opponent. Minotaur was fighting 004, Poseidon was facing off against 006, Atlas was handling 005 and Ares and Apollo had taken 003 and 2. The other cyborgs were fairing decently against their opponents but the female and the living rocket were on the defensive. Something seemed to be holding them back from fighting to their fullest, though Ares couldn’t tell what it was. He didn’t much care either. Whatever it was would help him crush them into the dust. It was truly a shame they had to be killed so quickly to keep them from interfering. Taking them as prisoners of war and making an example out of them would have been much more satisfying.

“I was looking for Artemis, brother.” The red-eyed teen answered, dodging a minor laser blast and retaliating by throwing a ball of fire at his opponent who only barely managed to fly out of the way. Ares had spent the morning searching for the moon goddess around the temple, but hadn’t been able to find her. In the end he had assumed that she had gone off somewhere to be alone as she was wont to do. It was for the best. All-in-all she was a gentle soul and thus had no place on a battlefield where her compassion would be a detriment.

“We are _not_ brothers.” Apollo growled back. It was far too easy to get under the sun god’s skin.

“We are not brothers _yet_. We shall be once this battle is done and Artemis and I are wed.” Ares corrected his future brother-in-law, knowing full well it would make the other deity even angrier. In Apollo’s case angry was good. The angrier he got the hotter his flames would be and the harder he fought. As long as he redirected that rage at the enemy there was no chance the cyborgs would win. That was the main problem though. If Ares were being honest, he hated Apollo. The other teen was far too pompous and arrogant and he allowed his temper to distract him from his goals far too often. Ares wouldn’t put friendly fire past the young man. If he had had his way he would have challenged Apollo to single combat to the death by now. It was only Artemis’s affections for him that saved him.

“What?! But…” a female voice called out, sounding heartbroken. The two gods turned to look at the blond woman. She had tears in her eyes and appeared just as broken hearted as she sounded. They had momentarily forgotten about her, ineffectual as she was. Ares activated his accelerator, vanishing from the girl’s view and reappearing behind her before she even had the chance to blink. He jeered with a snort, “You should not interrupt the gods when they are speaking. I did not know you were so eager to die.”

The god of war held up his hand, allowing flames to swirl around it, building, before releasing them on the blond cyborg as a blazing torrent. She had been turning around when she was hit, the brunt of the strike slamming into her chest and sending her flying back. The girl screamed in anguish, her tears cascading down her cheeks only to evaporate in the flames. Ares sneered, relishing in her agony.

Then, suddenly, his expression became one of shock and horror at the sight before him. An image flashed through his mind. _It was late in the evening and the sky was overcast. 003 was lying on the rocky ground with a glowing figure standing over her. A lightning bolt erupted from the figure, headed straight towards her. He had only seconds to react, activating his accelerator and moving as fast as he possibly could. He swiftly grabbed her and dove out of the lightning bolt’s path. His accelerator switched off and the two of them tumbled a few feet across the rocks, bruised and scraped up but alive._

“003…” the teen breathed, the words barely audible though that hardly mattered with the girl’s enhanced senses. Then he shook his head, forcing away the scene that had invaded his mind. It couldn’t be real, after all. Ares was a god, not a lowly cyborg.

* * *

The rumbling of 001’s battle with Hera could be heard even in the reactor room deep within the underground cave system as 008, 007 and Doctor Gilmore arrived. They had all received the news over their radios earlier that 009 had been brainwashed. The information had been a significant blow to the team’s morale but they hadn’t let it stop them from carrying out their plans. Their friend was alive and well and they could bring him back to his senses once the world was safe.

“Is this it?” 008 questioned, the trio coming to a stop in front of a massive machine that held a glowing ball of energy. 007 answered him, “Mm-hmm. It’s making some kind of strange noise.”

Doctor Gilmore took the initiative and ran ahead to the machine’s control panel to see how it functioned and what its larger purpose was. Seeing the information he affirmed their suspicions, “001 was right. The energy levels are amazing! It’s linked to that psychic’s power. Who knows what it can do!”

“What it _does_ is cause abnormal phenomenon worldwide.” A gruff voice replied, caused Gilmore to start. He turned to see Doctor Gaia standing in the doorway, a smug look on his face. Gilmore was appalled, “Gaia, what have you done!”

The evil scientist scoffed, “That’s how you greet me, old friend?”

008 immediately drew his gun, leveling it at Gaia while 007 was a bit slow to the draw. Unfortunately, they found a gun pointed at the Doctor as well. Gaia extended a warning to them, “Drop your weapons! Unless, of course, you’re prepared to gamble with the life of the esteemed professor.”

“Why you little-“ 007 began, but Gaia cut him off to gloat, “I’m sorry to say it, Gilmore, but there’s no future for your cyborgs. Why don’t you just give up? Look at mine! They’re truly works of art, don’t you agree?”

“They’re monsters, Gaia!” Gilmore objected, disgust at his fellow scientist’s experiments clear in his voice. This didn’t deter the bearded man, however, as he continued to boast, “They’re Greek gods with all the same powers and they’re perfect! To begin with they don’t have the weaknesses of humans! They’re past that!”

“What?! They’re not human because you stole all their memories, you lunatic! You made them this way to satisfy your own ego!” Gilmore shouted, outraged.

“So? What’s wrong with that?” Gaia countered, “They showcase my genius and they operate much more efficiently.”

“This is the same argument we had the first time we worked together. That’s what gives them perspective so they can use their powers in a balanced way.” Gilmore argued in an attempt to reason with the mad man. Gaia wasn’t having any of it, every word going in one ear and out the other, “I was right! I proved that my cyborgs are vastly superior to yours. Your creations have power but they’re afraid to use it. They’re unsure of themselves and inefficient. Just look at your 009. He couldn’t withstand the power of my cyborgs and nearly perished, but I stripped him of his human memories and personality and now he’s perfect! He has full access to _all_ of his abilities and he’s destroying your team out there.”

The statement seemed to throw both the cyborgs and the Doctor for a loop, confusion written across their faces. Gilmore couldn’t help but ask, “All of his abilities? What do you mean?”

“Did you think that with all the time and research that went into your cyborg project all they would include in the latest model was an accelerator?” Gaia laughed, “I looked at his design specifications. Ross included in him many of the abilities tested in the previous models and improved upon them. The ability to generate fire and heat and shape it, enhanced senses with different modes, anti-gravity-based flight, unparalleled strength on command and so much more. I amplified those abilities and made him perfect! Ares is my greatest creation yet! I’m the real god here, the one who manipulates _all_ the power! My cyborgs are nothing but pawns! They’re here to do my bidding and rid the Earth of humanity’s corruption. They're just advanced weapons.”

“You’re insane! You’ve slipped over the edge, Gaia!” Gilmore stated, realization of this fact truly setting in. Gaia just smirked, “Have I now? Tell that to Black Ghost. I’m working for him.”

Looks of shock took over the faces of the three other people in the room. They had all thought Black Ghost was dead, despite the evidence in their recent encounters. They had destroyed him themselves. The group had reasoned that perhaps fragments of the organization were still in operation but never suspected that Black Ghost himself was still alive. The Doctor voiced what was on all of their minds, “I thought Black Ghost was dead.”

“You’re lying!” 008 added. The trio never got their confirmation. The entire room soon began to rumble and quake around them, magenta emergency lights coming on around the reactor.

“What is this?!” Gaia demanded, regarding his device as it began behaving strangely. He was almost thrown off his feet by the shaking of the ground. As soon as he had recovered he rushed to the control panel, making some adjustments. The bearded man watched the energy in awe, “Beautiful! I’ve distilled the energy of the gods!”

“The energy levels are too high! The reactor’s out of control, Gaia!” Gilmore tried to reason with the mad scientist. Even though he knew the effort would be in vain he didn’t like the idea of leaving the man to die. 008 didn’t seem to share the sentiment, taking the good doctor by the arms and pulling him with him towards the exit, “Professor, we’ve gotta go! Now!”

“This way!” 007 instructed, heading for the large double doors that lead out of the room. The former actor got there first and attempted to pull the doors open, but they wouldn’t seem to budge. He continued to struggle with them, stating the obvious, “It won’t open.”

“The door’s jammed from the earthquake. Let me try something. Stand back.” 008 chimed in. He pulled his gun as the human and the other cyborg gave him some space, firing a concentrated laser blast at the door. The door didn’t budge, but the giant statue of Poseidon next to it toppled, falling towards them. 007 quickly transformed into a protective shield around his teammates with a cry of, “Watch out!”

* * *

Nearby, the battle between Hera and 001 raged on, their power levels far too evenly matched for one to truly overwhelm the other. The cave around them was quaking. Piles of rubble rested near the walls and debris was spread across the ground. It was growing worse by the second.

 _‘Oh no!’_ 001 shouted, the quaking of the island not escaping his notice. However, it seemed to escape Hera’s as she focused all of her attention on her opponent, taunting as she launched her next attack, “Am I scaring you, cyborg?”

A layer of the rocky ground in front of 001 was torn asunder and wrenched into the air, but none of it made contact with him. The fight was suddenly much less important and he attempted to warn the cyborg goddess about what was happening, _‘Stop! You and I are disrupting the balance of psychic energy! The reactor’s overheating!’_

“What’s that?” the statement caused the woman to stop in her tracks, the glow in her eyes fading as she stopped actively utilizing her psychic powers. Hera finally noticed the tremors rocking the Earth around them, but as 001 helpfully pointed out, it was too late. The infant cyborg sent a warning to his teammates as Hera came after him again with renewed effort, _‘All of you have to get off the island at once!’_

 _‘What… Voices in my head?!’_ 001 heard a familiar confused thought in response to his warning, which surprised him. It was followed by another that wasn’t actually directed at him, _‘Why does this seem so familiar?’_

 _‘009, we’ve had this conversation before and I would love to explain it to you but I can’t talk now. You need to get off the island with the others.’_ 001 replied as quickly as he could, dodging Hera’s psychic blasts as he made his way back to the Dolphin. A wave of lava burst forth from the ground only seconds after he passed the fissure, cascading down upon the cyborg goddess and engulfing her in molten rock.

As he reached the ship 001 received a response to his last message. It held such anger and the tone was so different from the one he was used to hearing that he could only assume it came from Ares, _‘Get out of my head, cyborg!’_

* * *

On the surface the situation was dire. The battle had continued and the gods had begun to fully overpower the cyborgs, though Ares had found himself having some trouble. After that first scene invaded his mind others began to worm their way in. Memories of each of the cyborgs they faced, of friendship and compassion. They left the young man confused about who he even was, but he tried his best to shake off that feeling and bury the images that flashed through his head. They enraged Ares. He fought harder and with more cruelty in hopes of keeping more of them from arising.

What was worse was that the cyborgs all seemed to know about it and tried to use it to distract him, calling out for whomever this “009” was. The female no doubt shared the information with them somehow. She and the red-haired rocket were the most troublesome. They wouldn’t fight back, dodging his attacks while saying things like “I know you’re still in there, Joe. Please come back to us.” and “I’m not going to fight you, buddy. Just let us help you.”

Then the ground had begun to shake and smoke spewed forth from the island’s volcano, followed by flaming rocks. The warning came from the psychic cyborg. He had replied to it with the first thing he thought and ended up regretting it. It had led to another scene playing out in his head, a terrible one of waking up in a bright metal room and seeing himself in a mirror dressed like the wretched cyborgs while the infant placed orders in his mind.

Now the Earth was breaking apart around them, the sky darkened to a deep crimson by the smoke and flames coming from the volcano. Flaming chucks of rock continued to rain down upon the fractured island and its inhabitants. Most of them had stopped trying to fight and he was nearly incapacitated by the pain in his head that the images brought, but Apollo was still determined to finish the battle. He stood above one of the fallen cyborgs, the one that could fly, his body glowing. Ares questioned why the young man didn’t simply fly away but vaguely recalled hearing the other teen mention he was out of fuel a moment before. Apollo, however, had no such trouble. The young god cast aside hid cape, rising into the air and creating a curtain of flames around himself, saying, “It’s all over! Accept your fate, cyborg! It’s time to end this! I’ll make it quick!”

Ares watched as Apollo dove towards the weakened cyborg, intent on ending his life. He never made it that far though.

The next moments seemed to happen in slow motion. As Apollo dove Artemis appeared out of nowhere and tackled her brother, knocking him off course. The two of them hit the ground several feet from the living rocket and tumbled, Artemis losing her grip leaving Apollo to roll a couple feet further by himself.

Ignoring the agony in his head, Ares immediately rushed over to the moon goddess, kneeling next to her injured form. The teal-haired girl was the only thing that mattered in his mind right now. He took her in his arms as Apollo knelt next to the couple, gazing at his sister in shock and guilt over what had just happened.

“Artemis… Artemis, it wasn’t meant for you.” Apollo tried desperately to explain himself, to let his sister know that he never meant to harm her. The girl made several pained noises before opening her eyes, staring at her brother while clutching the fabric of Ares’ red cloak, “Apollo…”

“Why did you do it, sister?” Apollo asked, unable to understand the young woman’s actions. The moon goddess answered, her strength already fading, “I had to stop you…”

“From what?” Apollo questioned, urging her to answer. She replied, “From hurting a brother cyborg…”

“You’re wounded!” Ares exclaimed in concern, noticing the blood soaked into Artemis’s white toga around her abdomen. Apollo followed his gaze, seeing the blood as well. He demanded, “Tell me, who did this to you?!”

“Gaia.” The teal-haired goddess answered simply, eliciting surprise from the two gods by her side as well as from the nearby cyborgs. She explained, “He wanted to spread chaos everywhere and we were the tools he created to make that happen. We’ve been nothing more than pawns in his eyes.”

“That’s not… That just can’t be true.” Ares argued, shaking his head. He didn’t want to believe it, but on some level he already knew it was true and he knew Artemis would never lie to him.

“It is true. You were once one of them.” The girl looked at him and continued, unfazed as she gestured to the group of cyborgs that stood nearby. She then turned back to her brother, raising her shaking hand and cupping his cheek, “We, ourselves, we once humans, my brother. Like all cyborgs. Have mercy on the humans… They’re not all bad…”

The girl’s violet eyes fluttered closed, the last of her strength gone. Ares felt her heartbeat slow to a stop as he held her in his arms. Her hand fell from her brother’s cheek, hitting the rocky ground with a jingling of her gold bracelets. The two gods had called out to her in unison, desperately hoping to wake her again, but the moon goddess was gone. Apollo wrapped his arms around her, pulling her body from Ares’ hold. He allowed it, knowing that the teen needed to have that final moment with his sister. For the first time since he had met Apollo the fiery-haired youth cried.

Once his tears had been shed, the sun god laid Artemis’s body on the ground, but at that point Ares was already standing, his eyes dark and his expression betraying none of the turbulent emotions raging within him. He activated his accelerator, taking off towards Gaia’s laboratory to confront the man, knowing that Apollo would likely be following him soon to have his own chat with the Doctor.

As he approached the reactor room and deactivated his acceleration unit, continuing to run at a normal speed, Ares could hear vaguely familiar voices from within. There was a sigh of relief then somebody, one of the cyborgs, asked, “Doc, are you alright?”

“Yes.” Another man answered, no doubt the cyborgs’ pet human. Then a voice called out that Ares knew far too well.

“Beautiful! I finally have the power of the gods! With this machine I can be a god myself! The world belongs to me!” Gaia proclaimed, punctuating the statement with a maniacal laugh. The sound of the man’s voice filled the young god with rage and he ran faster. As soon as he reached the large double doors that lead to the room he tore them clear off their hinges, tossing them aside so he could enter the room. What was meant to be a simple toss had the large metal panels tumbling down the corridor until they came to a stop against the wall where the path took a sharp turn. The cyborgs and their human had moved out of his way as soon as they hear the sound of wrenching metal, but Ares paid them no mind as he advanced on the dark-haired scientist. Should they attack he could easily kill them. He had more important things to deal with right now.

“You shot Artemis! She’s dead because of you!” the teen shouted the accusation at the bearded man, leveling a glare at him that would have instantly sent him to the next life if looks had the ability to kill, “You stole our memories and used us to further your own plans! You will pay dearly for your actions!”

“009…?” a hesitant voice asked from somewhere behind him, recognizable as the voice of the human Doctor. His first reaction would have been vehement denial, but he resisted the urge to reduce the man to a pile of ashes. The truth was he didn’t really know who he was anymore. He thought he was Ares, Greek god of war, but with everything he had learned in the last hour he was aware that he could very well be this “009” that the cyborgs spoke of.

“Perhaps.” The young god replied instead, turning to address the older man, “I am not entirely certain of my identity myself at the moment.”

“Then it would seem I wasn’t thorough enough.” Gaia stated. Before Ares could turn to face the man once more he felt a cold metal object enter the tiny hidden port on the back of his head. Suddenly, pain tore through his body and he fell to his knees, hands braced against the ground in front of him to keep him from falling any further. He could barely hear the evil man speak over his own agonized screams and the pounding in his head, “Don’t worry. I’ll have that problem fixed in a moment.”

Ares’ entire, admittedly short, life flashed before his eyes in that instant along with Joe Shimamura’s much longer one. The memories brought with them the emotions the boy had felt when the scenes had originally taken place. All the pieces were finally there, but they were scattered and out of order. Sequences of events seemed to play out randomly, becoming jumbled and even occasionally overlapping with one another. It quickly became too much for the teen’s mind to handle. Soon everything went black.

* * *

Jet saw 009 take off and activated his own accelerator in order to follow. The island around them was coming apart at the seams and if they lost track of him they would likely lose him forever. He was determined not to let that happen, but as he tailed the other cyborg it was starting to look like determination may not be enough. 002 was barely managing to keep the brunette in his sights as they charged through hallway after hallway. He just wasn’t fast enough. 009’s acceleration unit was far more advanced than his and easily allowed the red-eyed boy to move at much faster speeds.

Just as Jet lost sight of the boy completely a glowing figure passed him by, headed in the same direction that 009 had been. 002 breathed a sigh of relief and thanked, in this case, Apollo. He followed the fiery-haired youth through the remaining corridors, finally coming to a stop in the doorway to the reactor chamber. The two arrived in time to hear Doctor Gilmore shout, “You can’t reprogram him while he’s conscious, Gaia! Do you have any idea the kind of damage that could do?!”

Then 009’s screams faded as he lost consciousness, falling to the ground where he lay on his side, far too still for Jet’s liking.

Apollo wasted no time on exacting his vengeance, firing a laser through Gaia’s chest before the bearded man had time to react. The man dropped the device he had been holding in his hand as he felt back to the cracking ground, dead. The casing on the device shattered and the electronics within began to spark. Jet activated his accelerator again, hurrying over to 009 and tearing the wire from his head before the whole device short circuited and fried his brain. He scooped the boy up, one arm at his back and other under his knees, carrying him like a princess to safety. He deactivated his accelerator once he had reached the doorway again, standing amongst the other members of his team. Gilmore looked to the boy held securely in Jet’s arms, a grim expression on his face. None of them knew if he would be alright or how badly what Gaia had just done would mess him up.

“The first time I opened my eyes he said I was a god from Mount Olympus who had been resurrected into the present day!” Apollo’s angry shout pulled 002 out of his thoughts of worst case scenarios and back into reality where a worst case scenario was unfolding all around them already. He watched as the cyborg god began firing laser blast after laser blast at Doctor Gaia’s corpse as the ground buckled beneath them. Even after the corpse fell through a crevice in the Earth the young man continued to fire, shouting his fury all the while. 002 glanced down at the unconscious teen in his arm, sighed, and then turned back to Apollo. It wasn’t what Jet would normally do, but it was what 009 might do if he could right now.

“Stop it!” 002 called, causing Apollo to halt, turning on his heel to glare at Jet and stating, “I am a god! You do not give me orders!”

“Come with us!” the rocket-powered cyborg tried. He didn’t like Apollo and he didn’t really want to help him, but he knew 009 would have wanted to save the boy regardless of his own personal feelings so Jet tried his best for his best friend, “Apollo, come with us please! We have to hurry!”

Unsurprisingly, the fiery-haired teen backed away and declared, “I’m staying here! I can’t be hurt! I’m a god!”

“No, you’ve been lied to! You’re a human! Mortal, just like us!” Jet countered, knowing it would be useless. He could see it in the cyborg god’s amber eyes. There wouldn’t be enough time for the other cyborg to sort out his confusion before the entire island collapsed and killed them. 008 said as much, “We have to go! Now!”

“Come on!” Jet shouted desperately, trying one last time. It didn’t work. The reactor was starting to fall apart and the ceiling was beginning to crumble. They had run out of time and Apollo just continued to stand there, clinging desperately to his beliefs even after learning the reality of what he was, “I am a god! We’re all gods from Mount Olympus! Gods are immortal… but why did Artemis die? Why couldn’t I save her?! We were sent here to stop the fighting and bring the world true peace! We must be gods or what are we?!”

002 just started at Apollo. He didn’t know what to say to that. He wasn’t good at this sort of thing. 007 came up behind him, placing a hand on his shoulder and reminding him that the island was going to blow up, as though he couldn’t already see that.

Jet looked down at the young cyborg in his arms again and whispered “I’m sorry, buddy. I tried.” before fleeing from the room with his teammates, sparing one more glance at the delusional cyborg they had to leave behind as he ran.

The group made it back to the cave entrance with a wave of lava hot on their heels. 008 took Gilmore while 002 kept a firm hold on 009, jumping into the water to escape their deaths. It was a short swim through a tunnel to the open ocean where the Dolphin was waiting for them. As soon as the five of them were on board they moved the ship out to a safe distance from the sinking island and regrouped on top of the vessel, smoke still rising in the distance from the place the island had been. The clouds of ash and dust that has been spewed out by the volcano had finally begun to thin, allowing a few rays of sunlight to filter through.

“What’s sad is that they were just like chess pieces, being used.” 008 commented somberly. 004 nodded, agreeing with the sentiment, “Yeah. In many ways, they were a lot like us.”

“That’s true, but the path of humanity was closed to them.” Doctor Gilmore stated, “Their fate was set when they were transformed. They had no choice but to live and die as gods. It was the one big difference between you and them.”

007 mused, “It’s ironic. They came here to save the world and couldn’t even save themselves. Sometimes I wonder if the human race is worth all the trouble and effort we’re going through.”

“We must believe in our mission.” 005 stated matter-of-factly, leaving no room for debate, “Someday there will be a world without endless war and violence. That’s the world we’re living for.”

“What will happen to 009? Will he be alright?” 003 asked the question that Jet assumed was on all of their minds. He had taken the teen to the med bay as soon as they had gotten on board the Dolphin and Doctor Gilmore had set to work on him immediately, worried that the longer they left the issue the more likely it would be that the boy would suffer permanent damage.

“I’ve done all I could.” Gilmore sighed, his exhaustion and worry evident in his tone, “We’ll know when he wakes up if it was enough.”

“Are… you guys talking about me?” as if summoned by their words, 009 appeared on deck. They all turned to see him standing there at the ship’s entrance, once more dressed in the same red uniform they all wore. He took an unsteady step towards them and Jet was at his side in on instant, taking a firm hold on his arm to offer him some support. 003 soon appeared at his other side. She smiled gently at him, but there was a sadness lurking in her eyes.

“You had us all pretty scared.” Jet told the brunette. The look the blond cyborg shot him told him that it had come out sounding accusing, but he knew 009 could tell he hadn’t meant it that way. The blue-eyed girl took over the conversation asking, “Are you alright? How much do you…”

“I remember everything…” the young cyborg sighed. He looked between all of them and told them with sincerity, “I’m really sorry, guys. I-“

“Don’t even. It wasn’t you.” Jet interrupted the unnecessary apology. 003 nodded as well and added, “You don’t need to apologise for anything. None of this was your fault.”

Similar sentiments rang out across the deck from everybody else, bringing a small smile to the boy’s face. The group quickly quieted down again and 004 wondered, “How did Ares do all that? Can you use those powers to?”

009 paused, taking a minute to think. Eventually he shook his head and sighed, “I don’t think so. Ares knew how to access abilities I didn’t even know I had. Even though I remember it happening I have no idea how he did it.”

“Either way, I’m just glad you’re back and Ares is gone for good.” 002 stated, giving the red-eyed boy a grin. Surprisingly, the young cyborg didn’t smile back. Instead, 009 fixed his gaze on his boots, looking troubled. Jet learned why when the teen replied, “He’s not.”

“What?!” several of their teammates shouted while others made strangled noises but couldn’t manage to get any real words out in the face of the revelation. 009 sighed, “Ares isn’t gone, not entirely anyway. I can feel him, lying dormant in the back of my mind. It’s possible that, someday, he could wake up and take over again.”

Jet stared at the brunette, his mind processing what he was just told. The fact that they could lose kind and caring 009 to a cruel and vicious warlord again at any moment was certainly a sobering discovery, but 002 wasn’t going to let it change anything. Jet nodded, deciding, “No big deal. If that happens we’ll bring you back.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I mentioned earlier that there are some theories at work here and you probably noticed them. I was in a Cyborg 009 RP with a few acquaintances recently and we started talking about how weird it was that despite being the culmination of their project's efforts 009 had so few of the abilities the others had even though they would have been useful. And as we thought about it we thought maybe he has more abilities and just doesn't know and found stuff in the show itself that could lend to this being possible.  
> In episode 26 “Gilmore’s Notes” Gilmore stated “All the data we learned from our work on 002 through 8 was incorporated into 009. He’s the most advanced of the cyborgs I worked on.” and in episode 21 “Fossils of Evil” Doctor Ross said “009 is pure state-of-the-art, cream of the crop, my best design. He’s my masterpiece.” So it’s clear that Gilmore worked on 009 and knows that he’s meant to be the culmination of the work done to the previous 00 cyborgs, but that it was actually Ross that designed him. In “Gilmore’s Notes” Doctor Gilmore made it a point to mention “a new and much improved version of the accelerator was planted in him” and in episode 9 “Devil of The Deep Sea” Gilmore told the others “009’s skin was made stronger than all of yours”, making it likely that any abilities 009 has are greatly improved or changed from the previous versions. Also, when talking about 002 in “Gilmore’s Notes” Doctor Gilmore says “It has always been a dream of mine to soar through the air. That dream inspired me when I first designed prototype number 2.” which tells us that Gilmore designed 002 and would thus know how his powers, including his accelerator, function. Being that he was designed by Ross and they used all of the information from working with the previous models it’s entirely possible that 009 has other powers that he doesn’t know about and the only one he’s aware of is his acceleration because Gilmore recognized it in his design being that he designed the original and the mechanism for activation remained the same between versions. Likely the only way that 009 would gain access to any other powers he may have would have been by asking Doctor Ross, who died, or by accessing his design specs and notes which we know Black Ghost has because of what 0010 said in episode 3 “The Assassin of Flash”, “I took your data from the file and overcame your strengths by developing each one more efficiently.”  
> So, yeah. There's that.


End file.
